Premier League, Manchester City end Wolves' 7-game unbeaten run: Stats
What's the story
Manchester City edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium, courtesy of Kevin De Bruyne's match-winning goal.
Despite their confident start and two near misses, Wolves failed to make the most of their chances.
The win took City to the third position in the Premier League table as they ended a 7-game unbeaten run of Wolves in the Premier League.
Before this, Wolves had won six successive matches in the Premier League.
Match highlights
De Bruyne's strike punishes Wolves's missed opportunities
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's pass to Marshall Munetsi was slightly overhit with an open goal, and Rayan Ait-Nouri also hit the post for Wolves.
Despite their missed chances, it was De Bruyne who capitalized on Wolves's errors. After Andre lost possession and Jeremy Doku created an opening, De Bruyne scored with a well-placed shot.
Matheus Cunha nearly equalized for Wolves in the second half when he hit the post but City maintained control for much of the match.
Controversy
VAR decision sparks controversy in 2nd half
The match was devoid of yellow cards, but a controversial moment emerged when Rayan Ait-Nouri caught Bernardo Silva with his studs while attempting a stepover.
Despite being reviewed by VAR, Ait-Nouri was not sent off for the incident.
Points
4th successive win for City see them rise to 3rd
This victory marked City's fourth consecutive win in the Premier League, strengthening their position for a Champions League spot.
After 35 matchweeks, Pep Guardiola's City are third with 64 points. City claimed their 19 of the season.
On the other hand, Wolves are placed 13th after 35 matches with 41 points under their bag.
Information
Wolves' honeymoon period ends
Wolves had a solid 7-game run in the Premier League before this defeat. Wolves started the run with a 1-1 draw versus Everton. 6 wins followed thereafter against the likes of Southampton, West Ham, Ipswich, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Leicester City.
De Bruyne
72nd Premier League goal for De Bruyne
De Bruyne, who will leave City at the end of this season, scored his 72nd Premier League goal. He also owns 119 assists from 285 matches.
In the ongoing season, he owns 4 goals and 7 assists.
Overall, former Chelsea midfielder De Bruyne owns 108 goals for City in 418 appearances. He has scored six goals this season in all competitions.
Words
We found a way to win, says De Bruyne
De Bruyne told Sky Sports: "We found a way to win. Now we can relax and see what the others do. It's been a tough year, but we're finding a bit of a groove to find the games we need to win."
"I'm just trying to play as good as I can. I know I've got one game left here, but I just try to do my job like I've always done. I'm proud of what I'm doing and that's how it's always been."
Information
Here are the match stats
City had 9 attempts with 2 shots on target. Wolves managed 1 shot on target from 6 attempts. City had 64% ball possession and a 90% pass accuracy. Wolves won 5 corners but failed to make amends.
Numbers
Key numbers of De Bruyne
As per Squawka, De Bruyne is the first player since Lionel Messi to reach 250 goal involvements under Pep Guardiola.
Apart from his 108 goals for City, he also owns 142 assists.
The Belgian has now been directly involved in 11 goals in just 10 Premier League games against them.
His tally versus Wolves read 6 goals and 5 assists.
Opta stats
Records made in this match
Man City have won 4 successive Premier League games for the 1st time since a 13-game winning run between April and September 2024.
Wolves have now lost 9 of their last 10 away Premier League games against City.
De Bruyne now owns the joint-most goals + assists against Wolves in the Premier League alongside Mohamed Salah (11).